The NSW Government has launched free mental health resources to support regional and rural small businesses, with more than 60 per cent of those businesses indicating mental health or stress for themselves or their staff is a concern.
SafeWork NSW Director for Health and Safe Design Jim Kelly said that with so much going on in regional NSW, from floods to the pandemic, healthy workplaces need to be part of the solution to support communities to recover from these challenges.
“Workplace mental health initiatives deliver strong and positive outcomes for NSW businesses and their employees. We spend a third of our life at work, so making sure mental health is promoted, managed and supported in the workplace is extremely important,” Mr Kelly said.
“Regional businesses face unique challenges including poor service support, distance, cost, isolation, seasonal and labour issues, traumatic events and hesitation to seek help for mental ill-health.
“The new Regional Resources Kit outlines positive actions and links to support services to help these businesses create a positive and supportive work environment. It has easy actions business owners and leaders can take towards a mentally healthy workplace, no matter their region, size or industry.
“The NSW Government also offers a free and confidential coaching service to help regional businesses achieve big benefits with small changes. Tailored coaching is delivered online or over the phone at a time convenient to the business owner.”
